Thanksgiving Word Search — 12 Free Printable Puzzles
Twelve Thanksgiving word search puzzles to print for the kids’ table, the classroom or the long afternoon while the turkey roasts. They run from picture puzzles for preschoolers to 25-word grids for adults, every one has its own answer key on page two, and all come in US Letter and A4.
Jump to: Easy picture puzzles · Medium · Hard · All 12 in one PDF
Easy Thanksgiving word search — picture puzzles
Four 10 × 10 grids with eight words each and a picture beside every word, so pre-readers can match the shape and look for the letters. Words only run across and down — good for preschool and kindergarten tables while dinner cooks.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Easy · 10×10 · 8 words
Turkey, Pie, Corn, Bread, Potato, Carrot…
Harvest Time
Easy · 10×10 · 8 words
Pumpkin, Wheat, Apple, Pear, Grapes, Acorn…
Give Thanks
Easy · 10×10 · 8 words
Family, Home, Friend, Hug, Love, Food…
Autumn Animals
Easy · 10×10 · 8 words
Turkey, Owl, Deer, Fox, Squirrel, Bear…
Medium Thanksgiving word search
Four 14 × 14 grids with 15 words each, running across, down and diagonally but never backwards. About right for children from eight upwards.
The Thanksgiving Table
Medium · 14×14 · 15 words
Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Cranberry, Mashed, Potatoes…
Feeling Thankful
Medium · 14×14 · 15 words
Grateful, Thankful, Blessed, Family, Friends, Kindness…
November Days
Medium · 14×14 · 15 words
November, Autumn, Harvest, Leaves, Parade, Football…
Pie Please
Medium · 14×14 · 15 words
Pumpkin, Apple, Pecan, Cherry, Sweet potato, Crust…
Hard Thanksgiving word search
Four 18 × 18 grids with 25 words each, hidden in all eight directions including backwards. For older kids, teens and the adults waiting for the turkey to rest.
Thanksgiving Words
Hard · 18×18 · 25 words
Thanksgiving, Turkey, Pilgrims, Mayflower, Harvest, Feast…
In the Kitchen
Hard · 18×18 · 25 words
Roast, Baste, Carve, Stir, Whisk, Simmer…
Fall Harvest
Hard · 18×18 · 25 words
Apples, Pears, Pumpkins, Squash, Gourds, Cornstalks…
Parade Day
Hard · 18×18 · 25 words
Parade, Balloon, Float, Marching, Band, Drummer…
All 12 puzzles in one PDF
One file with all twelve puzzles in order — easy, medium, hard — and the twelve answer keys at the back. Print pages 1–12 for the table and keep 13–24 in the kitchen.
How to use these puzzles
- Pick a level. Easy puzzles have eight words with a picture for each and only run across and down. Medium adds diagonals. Hard hides 25 words in every direction, including backwards.
- Download and print page 1. Each PDF is two pages: the puzzle, then the answer key. Print at Actual size (100%) and choose page 1 only if you do not want the answers going round the table.
- Circle or highlight. A highlighter is easiest for small hands; a pencil loop works for everyone else. Tick the box beside each word as it is found.
- Check with the key. Page 2 shows every word ringed, with the full word list underneath.
Make your own instead
Want the names of everyone coming to dinner, or the family’s own traditions, hidden in a grid? The word search maker hides any list you type in a grid of the size you choose, then prints it with an answer key — same Letter and A4 sizes as the puzzles above.
Questions people ask
Which puzzle suits which age?
The four easy picture puzzles work from about four or five if an adult reads the words the first time. Medium grids suit roughly eight to eleven. The hard grids — 25 words in 18 × 18 letters with backwards words — are meant for teens and adults.
Is each word hidden only once?
Yes. The program that built each grid checked that every word appears exactly once, in any direction, and that no word in a list sits inside another one.
Do I need a colour printer?
No. The titles and pictures are in colour on screen, but the grids and word lists are pure black and print clearly in black and white.
Can I use these at school or at a community dinner?
Please do. Print as many copies as you need. The “Give Thanks” and “Feeling Thankful” puzzles pair well with a gratitude circle or a thankful-tree activity.
Letter or A4 — which should I download?
US Letter for the US and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else. Both are here for every puzzle, so the grid prints square with nothing cut off.
More Thanksgiving and fall printables
- Fall word search — twelve autumn puzzles with answer keys.
- Thanksgiving coloring pages — turkeys, pies and harvest scenes to color.
- Fall coloring pages — leaves, pumpkins and woodland animals.
- Bingo card generator — make a Thanksgiving bingo game from any word list.
- Scavenger hunt generator — a backyard or nature-walk hunt for after dinner.
- Would you rather cards — easy conversation starters for the kids’ table.
See all free printable games →
